The Dodgers just completed a three-game sweep of the (now) National League West third place Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, outscoring them 23 runs to five over the three games. They now welcome the Atlanta Braves into the Ravine for a crucial four-game series.
The Atlanta Braves are not the Arizona Diamondbacks.
What the National League Central first place Atlanta Braves are is the team with the best record in the National League at 87-45, as compared to the 83-49 NL West first place Dodgers.
In other words, should the Dodgers manage to also sweep the best team in the National League, the Braves would leave town tied with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ team for such distinction, which would have a major impact on the rapidly approaching postseason for home-field advantage.
“It’s gonna be a fun series, it’s a four-game series,” Roberts said of the incoming Braves following his team’s annihilation of the Dbacks. “These guys have been the best team, the class of baseball from the get-go. They can pitch, their (bull)pen is solid, their position players as good as anybody in baseball, so it’s gonna be a fun series.
“I think for us, it’s keeping the blinders on, playing good ball, not getting caught up in who we’re playing, where we’re playing, circumstances we can’t control, and just playing good baseball, and that’s what we’re doing,” Roberts added.”
As for that annihilation thing, the Dodgers slugged eight home runs in their three games against the lowly Diamondbacks, including a mammoth 440-foot shot by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman in Wednesday’s 7-0 pounding of the snakes.
Bring on the Braves!
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